Some of the authors parodied in the 1920s are long-forgotten, yet a review in 1990 commented that 'the parodies are not sharp enough for this to matter very much' to prevent enjoyment of the stories. 'Her literary skill is equal to the task' of parodies of the style of well-known detective writers. One noted that 'By having two detectives who are usually alternately successful she has always a foil, less obtuse than 'my dear Watson'. The collection was well received on publication, with the 'merriest collection', with amiable parodies, to one reviewer who was less impressed, saying the stories were 'entertaining enough'. This collection of detective short stories has a theme connecting the stories, as well, 'a group of short detective stories within a detective novel.' All of the stories in the collection had previously been published in magazines (see First publication of stories below) and feature her detectives Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, first introduced in The Secret Adversary (1922). The US edition retailed at $2.00 and the UK edition at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6). One of the roles is played – and very well indeed - by the British actress Lynda La Plante, who went on to greater fame as the writer of the remarkable 'Prime Suspect' series, which starred Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, detective extraordinaire.Partners in Crime is a short story collection by British writer Agatha Christie, first published by Dodd, Mead and Company in the US in 1929 and in the UK by William Collins, Sons on 16 September of the same year. (Francesca Annis is perhaps too beautiful for the part – her looks steal every scene she's in.) A little bit of TV history.

The two stars are able farceurs and can keep up with each other in the rapid-fire dialogue.

In 1983's 'The Affair of the Pink Pearl', one of the British TV 'Partners in Crime' series based on Tommy and Tuppence's adventures, they solve a cute little puzzle, while having a little fun. As played by James Warwick and Francesca Annis, they might remind you of Nick and Nora Charles from 'The Thin Man' series - they have some of the same dash and wit, even if in a different setting. These two cheerful detectives are as smart as the other Christie 'tecs, but with a youthful flair that sets them apart. Christie's grandson has said that her grandmother meant the Tommy and Tuppence stories as somewhat autobiographical, reflecting her happy life as the wife of Col. The light-hearted crime-fighting team of Tommy and Tuppence Beresford was created by Agatha Christie, perhaps as a counterweight to the graver Hercules Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries.

Tommy and tuppence partners in crime